Republican lawmakers in the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives called for legislation this week that would create a special election in May to allow voters to pick a permanent replacement for the Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama.

Senator Tim Bivins explained that although it has been portrayed that Illinois voters do not have the option of picking a new senator—unless Senator Roland Burris resigns or is removed—the United States Constitution and Illinois election law clearly delineate that the appointment made by the former Governor was a temporary appointment. In fact, as Republican lawmakers pointed out, there is nothing prohibiting lawmakers from scheduling a special election to select a permanent replacement; they would only need to change the state statue to set the date for the special election.

The legislators advocated for the consideration and passage of Senate Bill 285, which designates an April primary and a May general election. The measure could be heard as early as next week in the Senate Executive Committee.

News Detail

Senate Week in Review: February 16-20, 2009

2/21/2009

Earlier in the week, the Joint Committee on Government Reform held its first meeting. Senator Bivins is a member of that Committee, which heard from Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who is pushing for a revision of Illinois’ public records disclosure laws as a way to increase transparency and make records more accessible.

At this time, Madigan says it’s too easy for governments to bypass their Freedom of Information Act obligations. She cited examples of the former Blagojevich Administration simply denying record requests, and said that she will be pushing for a rewrite of Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act that would mandate government training for employees who release that information. Madigan also suggested that penalties be imposed for people who violate that law, such as fines ranging from $100 to $1,000.

The Committee has six more hearing scheduled over the coming months. The next hearing is set for Feb. 24 and will receive testimony on the state ethics commissions and state employee ethics training.

The Illinois Lottery is once again being tapped as a way to boost state revenues. News publications earlier this week reported that the Senate President is hoping to expand the lottery through online ticket sales, which he believes could substantially increase lottery revenues.

Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago, speaking to the editorial board of a suburban newspaper, also endorsed a wide range of tax hikes – pushing a 16-cent per gallon gas tax hike, a tax on Internet sales, an increase in cigarette taxes and a possible income tax increase.

On the Lottery, Cullerton is also advocating for the hiring of a private group to manage and market the games—assuming that innovative new concepts and technologies will give the program a much-needed boost.

However, critics argue that the move may have legal ramifications and is not likely to dramatically enhance lottery sales—tickets are widely available in many stores and gas stations. Skeptics note that unless the technology is drastically different, changing the lottery management would do little to increase sales.

At this time, no state lottery sells online tickets to individuals, and it is not yet known whether federal law would permit Internet sales.

Bills approved by Senate Committees this week include:

Attorney Fees (SB 65): Cleans up the language of a bill relating to interim attorney’s fees in divorce cases.

Cancer Screening (SB 270): Creates a Colorectal Cancer Screening and Treatment Pilot Program in regions that have the highest incidence of colon cancer deaths.

Child Welfare (SB 181): Increases the number of Chicago’s children’s respite care centers from one to two.

Compensation Review Board (SB 63): Requires the Compensation Review Board to vote separately on compensation for judges and to file separate reports for judges and all other positions.

Condominium Property (SB 267): Provides processes for addressing distressed condominium property that is a danger or a blight to the community.

Dentists (SB 290): Allows for an additional three testing bodies to be used to license dentists in Illinois. (SB 276): Expands Public Health’s pool of Chief of Dental Health candidates to dentists licensed in Canada, in addition to the United States.

Fire Protection Districts (SB 230): States that public safety tax funds can be shared with fire protection districts.

Health Grant (SB 150): Requires the Capitol Development Board to set up a Community Health Center Construction Grant Program.

Home Services (SB 135): Creates a demonstration project within the Home Services Program to allow a spouse to be reimbursed for providing care to his or her eligible spouse, and creates a trial program limited to 100 individuals.

Mental Health Facility (SB 209): Authorizes voluntary admission to a mental health facility for people deemed to be disabled if the facility’s director determines the recipient’s medical record warrants it.